Hernia truss



Sept. 30, 1930. sw ow I, 1,716,986

HERNIA' TRUSS Filed Oct. 19 1926 3 Sheet s-Sheet 1 cs. swALLoW nmmn mussSept. 36; 1930.

Filed Oct. 19, SSMets-Sheet 2 G. swALLow mari'un muss Filed Oct. 19 19263 Sheets-Sheet 3 gnaw/nick:

Patented Sept. 30, 1930 STATES oEoRoEswAILLow, or SALT LAKE CITY, 'rAirr HERNIA muss Application'filed October 19, 1926. Serial at. 142,585.

This invention relates to trusses, particularly hernia trusses, and isinthe nature of an improvement on the truss of the invention set forthin myPatentNo, 1,567 ,769,

j granted December 29, 1925. a

The object of the invention is to provide a truss which is adapted tothe treatment of hernia in various portions of the abdomen, and whichwill enhance the comfort of the wearer by being capable of adjustment ina number of difterentways.

The invention consists ina truss composed of a'plurality of members orstraps, formed preferably of'elastic webbing, soconnected andprovidedwith attaching means as to be adjusted to the body of the wearerin a manner to support ahernia with equaleffectiveness and comfort"regardless of the bodily positions or postures assumed by the wearer, as

I will proceed now to explain and finally claim. p 1

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention, in the severalfigures of which like partsare similarly designated, Figure 1 is aperspective of'the truss viewed from the back. Fig.2 is a front viewshowing the truss in one mode of adjustment upon the body of a wearer,the outline of the bod} being indicated bybroken lines. Fig. 3 1s abackview similar'to Fig.2. Fig. 4 is a front view similar to Fig; 2 butillustrating another mode ofadjustment. Fig. 5 is a back view of thearrangement shown in Fig.

4. Fig. 6 is a fragmentaryfront view show-.

35. in a still further mode of adjustment.

eferring particularly to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the truss consistsof a number of members, formedrpreferably of elastic webbing, andprovidedwith adjusting and secur- 49; ing. devices, such as bucklesand'buckle en-' gaging members. i The main members 1 are crossed as at 2and suitably secured at this point as by stitching, as shown. At theirlower ends the members 1 are looped as at 3, 45,; to form leg-embracingmembers, by passing their ends through slides 4 suitably attached to themembers, as shown. The ends of these members are provided with buckles5. The

other ends 6 of the members 1 are free, and

5Q have attached to them by stitching, or otherto the main members,intermediate their point of intersection 2 and the slides 4, are,support members 9, provided adjacent to their point of attachment 8 withbuckles 10,

and having at their free endsbuckles 11 removably attached by means o'floops formed in the ends of the members and'secured by means ofseparable fasteners 12 or the like. -The main members 1 are furnishedWith eyelets or loops 13 and 1 1 and tapes 15 for a purpose hereinafterappearing.

. From the foregoing it will be seenthat' the truss is constructed insubstantially the same manner as that of mypatent hereinbeforementioned, but with certain improvements and modifications. I Y

Obviously the truss may be adjusted upon thebody of the wearerin thesame manner" as that of my patent, or modifications in the 7 mode of itsadjustment to accommodatevarious conditions and bodily characteristics?may be made, as will nowbe explained.

In the arrangement illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, the truss is adjustedas"follows: First the legs are passed through theloops 8, the slides4'permitting automatic adjust: ment of the size of the loops tofit thelegs. Then the members 1 areadjusted along the back, as shown in Fig.'3, the point 2 of their crossingpreferably falling justbetween thesmall of theback and the shoulder-blades.

The free ends 6 are then passed over the shoulders so that they extenddownwardly over the chest and at the sides of the wearer. The-buckles 5carried by the loop-forming ends of the members" 1 are then secured tothe ends 6.. The support members 9 are then drawn around fromthe back,crossed over the abdomen, as at16,passed' around the thighs from frontto back, thence through the crotch from back to front,and their freeends carrying the buckles 11 secured to the straps 7. In order tomaintainthe leg-encircling portions of the members9 in a comfortableposition and prevent them from working downward the tapes 15 may be runthrough and secured to the loops 13. i r

This arrangement of the various members varies from that disclosed in mypatent herewise appropriately, straps 7. Secured at 8 inbefore mentionedin that instead of crossing the free ends 6 of the members 1 over thechest, they are so arranged as to extend downwardly at the sides of thebody. This may be found to be more comfortable for some persons than thepatented arrangement, but, obviously the truss of the present inventionmay be wornwith the ends, 6 of the members 1 crossed over the chest, asshown in Fig. 4:.

As will be seen, particularly by reference to Figs. 3 and 5, theattachment of the support members 9 to the main members 1 at the point 8removes these members from contact With the back of the wearer and makesit possible to support a hernia located much lower in the abdomen thanwas possiblewith the truss of my patent.-

VVhen it is desired to treat a hernia located higher in the abdomen.than can be treated with the truss adjusted as in Figs. 2 and 3, theadjustment shown in Figs. 4 and 5 may be employed. In. this adjustment,the loops 3 and main members 1 are arranged in the same manner'as justdescribed, either with the ends 6 extending downwardly at the sides, asin Fig. 2.0r crossed over the chest, as in Fig. 4;. But the supportmembers 9, instead of being run through the crotch, are made to encirclethe abdomen and hips, their ends being freed of the buckles 11 byopening the loops formed by theseparable fasteners 12, and then securedto the buckles 10. In this adjustment of the members 9' the tapes l5are'connected with the loops 14, as shown in Fig. 5, to support themembers in proper position.

If it is desired to cover a still greater area ofv the abdomen thesupport members 9 may be arranged assho-Wn in Fig. 6 by removing thebuckle 11 from only one of these members and then securing the ends ofthe two members together by connecting this end with the buckle 11carried by the other "member. In this arrangement the support members 9encircle the abdomen and extend well down over the lower portionthereof. 7

If localized pressure is desired a pad'of gauze, felt or other suitablematerial may be inserted under the support members 9 at the desiredpoint, as indicated in broken lines at 17 in Figs. 2, 4 and 6.

The support members 9 are the main truss or pressure-exerting membersand taken together form, in efiect a truss member :encircling the body,whether adjustedas in Figs. '2 and 3, 4 and 5 or 6. -Where they passover the abdomen they exert .a pressure sufficient to support orcompress the hernia, and, no matter what position the wearer may assume,this pressure will be exerted at all times, due to the elastic nature ofthe webbing and its ability, owing to the arrangement of the variousmembers, to adjust itself to the contours of the wearers body.

The leg-embracing members3 serve to prevent the truss from, riding upon. theabdo men due to bodily movements of the wearer, and the supportof the members 1 by the shoulders of the wearer will prevent the trussfrom dropping down.

The loops 13 and 14 and cooperating tapes 15, when properly connectedwill prevent uncomfortable separation of the members 9 and loops 3 andpossible pinching of, the flesh between them, when worn as in Figs. 2and 3, and will hold the members 9 in proper abdomen-encircling positionwhen worn as in Figs. 4, 5 and 6.

The members 9 will be held at all times in the same position relativelyto the abdomen by these several means of support, and, in addition tothe constant effective pressure exerted by them, will be comfortablebecause they are always in place. v l

The truss may be worn either with or with out the ordinary belt orcorset, as desired.

I am aware that various trusses have been devised having abdominal bandsor belts and means for holding them by means of shoulder braces and legstraps in proper position, but' I do not know of any device similar tomine which may be worn in a Variety of Ways for supporting hernias ofthe upper or lower abdomen, and which lends itself so readilytoadjustment to enhance the comfort and convenience of the wearer, and togive him that comfortable well-supported feeling so sought by thosesuffering from hernia.

Various changes are contemplated as within the spirit of the inventionand the scope of the following claim.

What I claim is In a hernia truss, mainmembers encircling the l'egs ofthe wearer adjacent to the crotch and extending upwardly along the backand over the shoulders of the wearer and connected to theirleg-embracing portions in front, support members carried by said mainmembers and encircling the body of the wearer at the abdomen, bucklescarried by said support members adjacent to their connections with themain members, and buckles carried at the ends of said support members,the buckles at the ends being removable so that the ends may beconnected to the buckles adjacent to the main members to form arelatively narrow ab- 1 dominal band, and one of said end bucklesserving as a means to connect the ends of the two support memberstogether to form a relatively wide abdominal band.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 15th day ofOctober A. D. 1926. GEORGE SWALLOVV.

